Leading causes of vaginal infections occur when bacteria, fungi or virus cells grow in a larger quantity in the vaginal area. Woman already have certain types of bacteria or flora, which already grow naturally in this habit. It is when these and other foreign types of cells start to rapidly multiply in the vaginal area that you get an infection.
Not all causes are known that create vaginal infections but here are a few examples that doctors have narrowed down to help women. Skin to skin contact can be self masturbation or sexual activity with one or more partners. These partners can be new or different, with each new partner there is a risk of acquiring new bacteria from them. Your body is not use to their bacteria so it has to adjust to having their bacteria introduced into your system. Itching or touching with fingers can cause a vaginal infection by transferring new bacteria into the vagina. Transfer occurs when the bacteria is already on the fingers due to being unclean or excess rubbing can irate the bacteria already in the vagina and causing an abundance of new flora to grow.
Women can also have a reaction to lubricants, creams, spermicides, fabric softeners, detergents, douches, or latex. All of these liquids have chemicals which could cause an allergic reaction or upset the balance of natural flora in the vagina. A person’s saliva can have a lot of bacteria, fungi or viruses in it. If a person smokes or chews tobacco, this introduces those chemicals into the vagina causing a reaction to trigger inflammation and infection. Foreign objects such as tampons being inserted can scratch the vaginal wall and produce a new area for bacteria to grow out of control. Pads, tight or silky underwear can give women reduced air flow to the vaginal area making it a breeding ground for bacteria or fungi to increase. Wearing wet swim suits for a long period of time can also increase the moisture in the vagina creating a breeding ground for fungi.
Hormonal changes due to age or birth control can affect the vaginal walls by thinning them. Taking too many antibiotics or a strong dose of them can inflame the vaginal area causing an infection.
In some women quantities of high doses of sugar ingested by food, drink or flavored sexual creams can prompt yeast to get out of balance in the vagina causing a vaginal infection. With the vagina being acidic this ingestion could dilute the concentration of the acidic living conditions thus allowing overgrowth of the flora multiply. Diabetes can also trigger vaginal infections because of the excess sugar in the system.
Injury to the vaginal wall or vagina can lead to infection because you tear, rub or inflame these tissues thus making the flora out of balance and creating a new place for it to grow.